Share This Story!

Celtics-Heat opener has Ray Allen subplot

MIAMI – A solitary shooter launched three-point shot after three-point shot in the Miami Heat's practice gym, working his way around the arc. No shirt – just black socks, black shorts, black shooting sleeve on

MIAMI – A solitary shooter launched three-pointer after three-pointer in the Miami Heat's practice gym Monday, working his way around the arc. No shirt – just black socks, black shorts, black shooting sleeve on his left arm, gray basketball shoes with black trim.

The past five seasons he worked it with the Boston Celtics, where he won a championship in 2009 and made it to the Finals in 2010. Last season he and the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference finals -- losing to the Heat.

Allen finished his shooting – the last player left in the gym – and walked to more than 30 news reporters waiting to ask him about the anticipated and scrutinized matchup between the Celtics, his former team, and Heat, his new team, Tuesday night (8 ET, TNT) to open the 2012-13 NBA season.

"These guys have accepted me and brought me in and treated me as one of their own," Allen said of the Heat.

He wanted to clarify one point, just in case the possibility existed that Allen might have egretted his decision to leave the Celtics: "I'm happy being in this situation."

Which makes Ray Allen, in the eyes of the Celtics, the biggest turncoat in the Northeast since Benedict Arnold -- and, in the eyes of the Heat, part of a new family, the kind of player who can help Miami repeat.

He will see the Heat receive their 2011-12 NBA championship rings Tuesday night, while his former coach, Boston's Doc Rivers, joked the Celtics would be in the locker room watching an episode of Scandal or Homeland.

It will be odd for Allen, too, watching the Heat receive championship rings.

"I'm excited for these guys, having spent time around them over the last two three months (and) getting to know them and their families," Allen said. "I'm happy for them that they won, but at the same time they beat me and put us out. I understand the emotions Boston will feel."

Allen attempted to treat the game as any other. "Every game you have butterflies. It can be Game 20, Game 50, Game 80, going into the playoffs," he said. "You have that normal anxiousness, that nervousness, so you think of every small thing to prepare for. I don't think it's any different from what I've normally felt."

If Allen tries to approach it that way, everyone else knows this is not just any regular-season game.

"I think there's no better introduction than all this for Ray," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The matchup is missing the over-the-top vitriol aimed at Heat forward LeBron James when he returned to play his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, for the first time in 2010-11. But there is obvious tension.

"I have a sense it means a lot," James said. "It means it's going against your old team. I was there two years ago when I first played Cleveland, and I wanted to win that game. As teammates, we've got to try and help him do that."

The sides have volleyed shots at one another – the Celtics unhappy that Allen went to the despised rival for less money, Allen unhappy about his reduced role with Boston.

Allen has not talked with Celtics forwards Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and guard Rajon Rondo since signing with the Heat as a free agent in July. Garnett said he no longer has Allen's mobile phone number.

Pierce failed to explain why they haven't talked.

"I don't know. I can't answer that. I don't know," Pierce said. "We're not going to make this into a Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rondo thing. Right now, my focus is on playing in a game versus Miami. Everything that's happened has already happened. He's here. He's happy to be here."

Both sides, to some extent, tried to downplay the meeting.

"I like Ray. It's not like I dislike Ray," said Rivers, who admitted it will be strange playing against Allen.

"But we'll get over it pretty quick. … He was good and he was good for us. He helped us win a title. Now, he's on the team that beat us. … I'm still tired of answering (questions). I don't know what you want me to say. He went to the other team."

Allen has fond memories of playing with the Celtics and said he always will.

"You guys think I have some type of animosity or bad blood, I don't," Allen said. "I've said it time and time again. We shared, in my opinion, probably the most special thing you can do in sports – going all the way to the top. That's always going to be No. 1 in my heart.

"When I see Paul, I'm not going to be angry at him or anyone else. I'm happy. I'm excited. I look forward to seeing all those guys."

But he found a new home.

"My No. 1 concern in making the decision was I was concerned with moving my family down," Allen said. "Was I going to be happy? What am I dealing with when I come into the situation? All those – I guess you can call them fears because it's unknown – all those fears that I had have been taken care of. My kids are in a great school system. We found a nice house."

Now, he has taken his sweet-shooting touch to the Heat, where he will add to his NBA-record three-pointers made (2,718) and three-pointers attempted (6,788). Playing with James, forward Chris Bosh and guard Dwyane Wade in an unselfish offense will give Allen plenty of opportunities.

And isn't Rivers aware of that.

"Ray Allen's going to get shots just like he got them with us just because he's playing with great players," Rivers said. "He'll stand somewhere all by himself. Either you help or your don't. If you don't, LeBron gets a dunk or Wade gets a layup. If you do help, then Ray gets a jump shot.

"It's no different than when he was with us. … He'll do the same thing here, maybe even more so here."